Brendan Rodgers has defended the way he uses Steven Gerrard, rejecting suggestions that the Liverpool captain is struggling to adapt to his manager’s playing style and insisting that his form will improve.
Gerrard was uncharacteristically jaded in Liverpool’s goalless draw away to Swansea City on Sunday and has scored only one goal in the Barclays Premier League this season. Whereas in previous campaigns the 32-year-old has been deployed in an attacking midfield role for his club, he has appeared to operate in a more deep-lying position since the arrival of Rodgers.
The Liverpool manager is hoping that the imminent return of Lucas Leiva after injury will give Gerrard the platform to get back to his best, but Rodgers maintained that the England captain’s talents are not being wasted by his present role in the team.
“I don’t think there has been a clear change in his game in terms of what I have asked him to do,” Rodgers said. “I think what Steven has been over the years has always been the player who makes the difference and, OK, he may not have had the goals this season that he has wanted but he has still been effective. There has been nothing more or less I have asked in terms of defensive responsibilities. Of course, we want the midfield players to score goals and go and get into the box and gamble, and we have seen when Steven has done that he is fantastic.”
Liverpool head into tonight’s game away to Tottenham Hotspur with their plans for the January transfer window already at an advanced stage.
Talks to sign Thomas Ince, the Blackpool winger, are at an advanced stage and Rodgers is hopeful that the appointment of Rafael Benítez as Chelsea’s interim first-team manager will not jeopardise a move for Daniel Sturridge, the forward.
André Villas-Boas, meanwhile, has in Jermain Defoe a striker whom he is determined to keep, and who he compares to Radamel Falcao, who played for the Tottenham manager at Porto.
“He’s been [scoring goals] for all of his life,” Villas-Boas said. “I certainly put him alongside Falcao.”

- Tony Barrett



sturridge i'm ok..but Ince???...i kenot brain..he's nowhere half as good as Sterling..plus he's an impatient kid..put him in the bench and he'll ask for a transfer

now still school holiday? how was your PMR?

BR simply doesnt want to play this way but the players are doing it at times. Crossing the ball but no one's there. It's inevitable that the players will choose to cross when there's not much room available for pass and move.

The last player that we have from Midfield that will run into empty spaces and knock the ball into goal like Robert Pires is, Raul Meireles. Stevie also dont do that anymore.

So all we are counting on is Suarez to run into spaces. Suarez to create opportunity for himself. Suarez to head the ball in.



This post has been edited by dillonyong: Nov 28 2012, 03:18 PM

In light of Jose Enrique's improved form lately, here are some photos of the man looking great:

https://twitter.com/shelveyJ/status/263286590892302336
https://twitter.com/nurisahin05/status/273057815860490242

And the best of the lot?
https://twitter.com/i/#!/jose3enrique3/....com%2FPcG40Zyj

Hilarious stuff from the dressing room.

when barca attack they have a few players in the box. this is still our biggest weakness - getting people into the box

WOAH! I want that 6 pax man! Never knew he is so fit. LOL
I am doing sit ups everyday for 6 months but still only got 2 mini mouse line only

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Added on November 28, 2012, 3:29 pmYup. Until we have a few players that Sterling and Enrique can latch on to, we are going to struggle with the pass and move philosophy. Unless this season is just training basis only la!

Next year, we get few fellas like Lucas Podolski, who knows. Maybe we can give the Manchesters some shockers

This post has been edited by dillonyong: Nov 28 2012, 03:29 PM

oh yes...Meireles...miss dat guy. hes fast with the ball

And he got to celebrate alone lol...oh Suarez. If we lose him this January, we'lll look back in regret.
Imagine if Suarez got Hazard n Mata support

All the 6 packs in the world could not save you from bad taste in clothes though.

Brad JonesVerified ‏@Brad_Jones1
@nurisahin05 @jose3enrique3 Kardes I still want to no why Jose didn't wear a tshirt today??? #mediumisnotyoursizeJose #tiiiiiiggghhhtttttttt
Well done Brad Jones!

OMG jose. That looks gay

I think Enrique is very into body building. Remember watching an episode of Being Liverpool, of which Carragher is cycling while Enrique is there doing pull ups crazily.

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Added on November 28, 2012, 4:00 pmWalcott is out of date

Walcott is up for grab!

This post has been edited by Yluxion: Nov 28 2012, 04:00 PM

IF


IF


IF


if somehow the titan gods are favourable (we certainly can use some help ) then somehow a player like walcott comes in. despite the critics calling him unpredictable in form, he's someone who can on his day light up the field, maybe some magic ala john barnes on the flank. and IF we somehow need to exchange downing away. I'm ok. we have decent cover in that area.

IF.

IF..

IF...

Did I read Downing? Quickly exchange for Theo. Quick! Quick!

smell death fish

WOAH! Again talking about Liverpool.
Old man is just obsessed with us, isnt he? He secretly love us, he just wont admit

Sir Alex Ferguson takes a dig at Liverpool for spending £35m on Andy Carroll

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has criticised Liverpool for splashing out on a £35m bid for Andy Carroll last year and the Scotsman has insisted that he would never have paid that much for the striker.

The 23-year-old failed to get off the mark at Anfield last season under Kenny Dalglish and following the arrival of new manager Brendan Rodgers in the summer, the former Newcastle United forward was loaned out to West Ham United for the season.

"He has only played something like a dozen games for Newcastle and then he had to deal with a £35m transfer to a club like Liverpool," Ferguson told the club's official website.

"That's quite a big jump. I'd certainly not sign that kind of player for that kind of money. We've gambled on young players in the past, maybe a couple of million or whatever, but when you get that level you really have to do a bit more homework and see how he is in his second season maybe."

Ferguson's side come up against the Hammers tonight.

This post has been edited by dillonyong: Nov 28 2012, 05:35 PM

Hmm... I wonder how much Anderson cost then. Now I agree we overpaid massively for Carroll but is the old man having amnesia already. A couple of million, he said eh?

This post has been edited by led_zep_freak: Nov 28 2012, 05:45 PM

a dozen of games? are you sure? if not wrong, carroll has been playing for newcastle when they have been relegated and he helped them to come back to EPL.

i didnt know manutd need to play mind games against West Ham

This post has been edited by Petre: Nov 28 2012, 05:50 PM

Yeah, he played through the season they were relegated and he was brilliant for them. Old man got his facts wrong .

Should we be surprised? He always has partial amnesia such as Shelvey sent off was correct but never comment on RVP and Evans 2 footed lunge

not just him, the ajaran sesat have many pengikut sesat

This happened after they lost to Norwich. He realised that they are not that good anymore hence he needs to use mind games trick again.

This season is a touch and go for both Manchesters and Chelsea. Either one of them can win the league but on paper, Man City and Chelsea have more talents. MU have foxy Fergie and his cunning mind games.